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Tensions flare between Chicago and White House over migrant crisis

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

(CNN) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson confronted top White House officials late Sunday, demanding they take fast and concrete steps to address a migrant crisis they believe is about to reach a breaking point in the Windy City, according to two people on the call.On a conference call they pushed for on short notice, the two Democratic leaders and aides laid out concerns about Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ramping up the number of buses bringing migrants to the city, arguing that it could double the number of migrants there – currently more than 17,000 – just as temperatures begin to drop in a city famous for its harsh winters.White House intergovernmental affairs director Tom Perez, who was on the call along with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, urged Chicago to follow the “best practices” put in place in New York, where new efforts have launched to try to help migrants obtain work permits. But that did little t...

Patriots OLB Matt Judon facing season-threatening timeline with torn bicep

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

Patriots outside linebacker Matt Judon is expected to miss at least two months with the torn bicep tendon he suffered last Sunday, according to the NFL Network.Judon will undergo surgery on Wednesday, per reports. ESPN reports Judon wants to return and play again this season, but there are doubts whether he can or will. His exact recovery timeline will be determined after Wednesday’s surgery.In the meantime, Judon, a four-time Pro Bowler, will be out indefinitely. It’s all but assured he will soon land on injured reserve and create an open roster spot.The 31-year-old tore his bicep while attempting an arm tackle of Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 38-3 defeat. He finished with one tackle and two QB hits. Judon got hurt after the Patriots had pulled quarterback Mac Jones trailed 31-3, though coach Bill Belichick said post-game the staff didn’t discuss removing their star pass rusher.Since his arrival in 2021, Judon has widely...

Biden says that all 10 drugs targeted for the first Medicare price negotiations will participate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the manufacturers of all of the first 10 prescription drugs selected for Medicare’s first price negotiations have agreed to participate, clearing the way for talks that could lower their costs in coming years and give him a potential political win heading into next year’s election.The drugs include the blood thinner Eliquis, which the White House said was used by more than 3.7 million Medicare enrollees from June of last year through this past May and had an average out-of-pocket cost of $608 per enrollee for 2022. Also included is diabetes treatment Jardiance, which was used by nearly 1.6 million Medicare enrollees and had a 2022 out-of-pocket cost per enrollee of $490.In all last year, 9 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries paid more than $3.4 billion on these 10 drugs alone, the White House said. “For decades, drug companies in America made record profits while big pharma worked to block Medicare...

Shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall kills at least 2, and a suspect is in police custody

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — A shooter opened fire inside a major shopping mall in the center of Thailand’s capital Tuesday afternoon, killing at least two people before being apprehended, authorities said. Police said a suspect was taken into custody less than an hour after the first reported gunshots at the Siam Paragon Mall, long been seen as one of Bangkok’s biggest and most upscale shopping destinations. Video uploaded to social media and broadcast on television showed a long-haired teenage boy in the custody of police. Major Thai media said he was 14 years old, though recently appointed police chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed only that he is a minor and appeared to be suffering from mental illness.Torsak said two people had been killed, a visitor from China and a Myanmar national. Earlier, Yutthana Sretthanan, director of Bangkok’s Erawan Emergency Medical Center, had said three people were killed and six were injured. There was no explanation of the discrepancy, though Yutthana later ...

Britain’s COVID-19 response inquiry enters a second phase with political decisions in the spotlight

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation entered its second phase Tuesday, with political decision-making around major developments, such as the timing of lockdowns, set to take center stage. Families whose loved ones died during the pandemic held a silent protest outside the inquiry in London, and claimed the new stage of the investigation — the so-called Module 2, the second of four planned phases — is ignoring how they were failed by politicians and policymakers. Many were holding portraits of their deceased loved ones, and stood beside a banner which read “Stop silencing the bereaved.” “I hope the inquiry has access to evidence it needs which includes evidence from the bereaved,” said Lorelei King, 69, who lost her actor husband Vincent Marzello, 72, in March 2020. “They have taken impact statements, but we have much more to provide. Many of us were eyewitnesses to what went on during that time.”Chair ...

Donald Trump returns to court as his fraud trial gets down to business after a fiery first day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump returned to a New York court Tuesday after a fiery start to his business fraud lawsuit trial.After Monday’s opening statements, Tuesday’s court action is expected to center on the more plodding task of going through years of his financial documents. An accountant who prepared Trump’s financial statements for years is expected to be back on the witness stand for a second day.Trump spent a full day Monday as an angry spectator at the civil trial. It’s the culmination of a lawsuit in which New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, has accused the Republican former president and current 2024 GOP front-runner of deceiving banks, insurers and others for years by giving them papers that misstated the value of his assets.Judge Arthur Engoron delivered an early victory to James last week, ruling that Trump committed fraud by exaggerating the size of his penthouse at Trump Tower, claiming his Mar-a-Lago estate in Flori...

Driver arrested after cutting off motorcyclist on Hwy. 410, seriously injuring rider: OPP

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

A 24-year-old motorcyclist is in hospital and the driver of another vehicle is in custody following a crash on Highway 410 in Mississauga.The crash happened in the southbound HOV lane of the 410 near Highway 401 just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.“A motorcyclist was travelling southbound in the HOV lane when a white vehicle from the through lanes moved across the double white solid lines directly in front of the path of the motorcyclist, causing a serious collision,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said on X, formerly known as Twitter.The motorcycle rider, from Brampton, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.The driver of the other vehicle, a 59-year-old from Brampton, was arrested for careless driving causing bodily harm.Schmidt said the driver of the white vehicle was travelling alone so shouldn’t have been in the HOV lane.“Crossing those HOV lanes is an offence, and cutting in front of a motorcyclist like this can cause significant, serious and even tragic result...

Tunisia rejects European funds and says they fall short of a deal for migration and financial aid

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

Tunisia on Monday announced it would reject an installment of funds sent by Europe to help the debt-ridden country patrol the Mediterranean Sea as migrant boat crossings spike to levels not seen in several years.President Kais Saied on Monday accused the European Union of not following through on agreements made earlier this year to help Tunisia patrol its border, curb smuggling and balance its federal budget. Though he called the disbursement “a small amount,” Saied said the decision was less about its size and more about how it “lacks respect.”“The treasures of the world are not equal to a single grain of our sovereignty in the eyes of our people,” Saied said in a statement published on TAP, the country’s official press arm. “Tunisia, which accepts cooperation, does not accept anything that resembles charity or handouts.”European representatives have not commented on Tunisia’s rejection. The funds are one component of a broad agreement that the EU and Saied brokered in...

Book Review: ‘Differ We Must’ illustrates Abraham Lincoln’s political skills

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

In “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded In a Divided America,” Steve Inskeep is taking on one of the most challenging tasks for a biographer by profiling the nation’s 16th president.There’s little new to be said or explored about Lincoln that’s not already covered in the massive pile of biographies already out there. But Inskeep, co-host of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” tries an approach that illuminates Lincoln’s political skill.From the opening pages of the biography, Inskeep details how much Lincoln’s political skill was a part of the late president’s legacy and character. As Inskeep puts it, “Lincoln preserved the country and took part in a social revolution because he engaged in politics.”Inskeep illustrates that political skill by focusing on 16 encounters Lincoln had throughout his lifetime. They include well-known and well-chronicled figures in Lincoln’s political upbringing, such as William Seward, George McClellan and Frederick ...

Spain’s king calls on acting Socialist Prime Minister Sánchez to try to from the government

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:53:59 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s King Felipe VI on Tuesday called on acting Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to try to form a new government following a new round of talks with political party leaders to see which party has the best chance of mustering up majority support in Parliament.Speaker of the House Francina Armengol made the announcement after she was summoned by the king once the two days of talks had finished.The decision comes after Alberto Núñez Feijóo, head of the conservative opposition Popular Party, failed to win sufficient parliamentary support last week after the king initially designated him to try to from a government.Sánchez’s party finished second behind the Popular Party in July 23 elections. The elections produced a splintered parliament made up of 350 legislators from 11 parties, making the path to power difficult for any party.“I have accepted the king’s petition,” Sánchez said at a press conference on Tuesday and promised to work for a progressive governm...